It is well known that assisting an aircraft pilot with maneuvers in situations of low or no visibility is desirable and numerous solutions have been provided to accomplish that task. Typically, modern aircraft can be equipped with Forward Looking Infrared Cameras (FLIR). These cameras are part of the Enhanced Vision System (EVS), which is used to improve the capability for commercial, business and military aircraft to execute precision approaches and land safely in fog, rain, snow and other reduced visibility conditions thereby reducing accidents. The EVS also provides improved awareness during ground operation aiding in the reduction of runway incursion accidents.
The FLIR optics is typically mounted behind a separate radome which serves to protect the FLIR. The optics exterior surface can drop below dew point during operation, impeding image quality due to condensation and frost. It is the nature of this invention to solve this problem in a manner that is efficient, durable and cost-effective. However, each radome and its contained electronics must be superficially designed for the particular aircraft. Further, the high cost of such systems makes them impractical for use with general aviation aircraft.
A light, single line replaceable apparatus that utilizes an uncooled microbolometer incorporating a non-uniformity correction scheme and wherein the apparatus is independently sealed from the aircraft interface is not found in the art.